Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what role, as a member of the Troika, the UK retains in any international or regional efforts to end the civil war in Sudan; and what initiatives the UK has been involved in this regard.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are working alongside Troika and other international partners to end the violence in Sudan, allow unfettered humanitarian access and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. The UK issued a joint statement with its Troika partners on 29 May, reaffirming our support for the African Union's roadmap for the resolution of the Sudan conflict. On 4 August, the UK and its Troika partners released a further statement, condemning recent reports of killing based on ethnicity and widespread sexual violence in Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias. We continue to engage in other formats and at the United Nations General Assembly in September, UK Ministers and senior officials participated in four meetings with different groupings of partners to tackle the situation in Sudan.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Development Aid

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government what financial contribution they have made to the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the financial year 2022–23; and what contribution has been allocated for this support in the financial year 2023–24.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is committed to supporting efforts to build stability and reduce violence in DRC including through the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO, where the UK contributed £51 million in 2022/23, and have allocated £48 million for 2023/2024.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Development Aid

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government how many organisations submitted proposals by the closing date of 31 July setting out how they could deliver a key component of the British Embassy in Kinshasa’s Humanitarian Action and Recovery after Crisis programme; and which organisation has been selected to deliver that programme.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: A large number of organisations submitted proposals setting out how they would deliver a key part of the British Embassy in Kinshasa's Humanitarian Programme. The decision as to which organisation will be selected to deliver is still ongoing and all those involved will be informed of the result in due course.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Development Aid

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government when they provided funding for research into atrocity prevention in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo via the Jo Cox Memorial Grant; what was the level of that funding; and what progress has been made with the project.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Three projects in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo received £1 million in funding from the Jo Cox Memorial Grant (JCMG) to identify and prevent identity-based violence. These projects were undertaken between July 2019 and July 2022. Workshops supported by the JCMG have helped to inform British Embassy Kinshasa's current atrocity prevention approach including monitoring and calling out hate speech and ethnically motivated attacks against Tutsi and Rwandaphone communities in DRC.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Armed Conflict

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current security situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, following the massacre of 50 civilians on 30 August and the subsequent request by Foreign Minister Christophe Lutundula for the UN Security Council to accelerate the plan for the withdrawal of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to monitor the high levels of violence in east Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), including the incident in Goma on 30 August. We continue to engage at the highest levels with DRC and remain committed to supporting efforts to reduce violence in DRC, including through the UN Peacekeeping Mission MONUSCO. I [Lord Ahmad] met with Foreign Minister Lutundula during the UN General Assembly to discuss the DRC's request for early MONUSCO withdrawal and we will continue to monitor this ahead of this year's MONUSCO mandate renewal in December.

Sudan: Peace Negotiations

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to work with the UK’s international partners on the various peace initiatives aimed at ending the conflict in Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: We are working with international partners in support of continued African efforts through The African Union, The Intergovernmental Authority on Development, UN and through the Quad and Troika, to end the violence, allow unfettered humanitarian access and commit to a sustained and meaningful peace process. On 4 August, the UK and its Troika partners released a joint statement, condemning recent reports of killing based on ethnicity and widespread sexual violence in Darfur by the Rapid Support Forces and allied militias. Recently, at the United Nations General Assembly, UK Ministers and senior officials held four meetings with different groups of partners to discuss accountability issues and the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

Israel: Palestinians

Lord Arbuthnot of Edrom: To ask His Majesty's Government what support they are providing to the government of Israel regarding reports of Hamas smuggling weapons and explosive materials across the Gaza border.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK is resolute in its commitment to Israel's security. Our position on Hamas is clear: we condemn Hamas' attacks against civilians which are unacceptable and unjustifiable. We unequivocally condemn the use and possession of indiscriminate weapons by militant groups in Gaza. Hamas and other terrorist groups must cease their campaign of violence, for which there is no justification. Such activity compromises the region's security, its ability to prosper and escalates already high tensions, with consequences for the international community. Hamas must renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept previously signed agreements. In the 2030 Roadmap for UK-Israel bilateral relations, signed by the Foreign Secretary and his Israeli counterpart earlier this year, the governments of the UK and Israel have stated that we will continue to work together to keep our people safe from cyber, criminal and terrorist threats.

Middle East

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister last discussed mutual UK–US foreign policy objectives in the Middle East with the President of the United States; and whether those discussions included discussion of the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK continues to support diplomatic efforts to normalise relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. The UK is a firm supporter of Israel's normalisation agreements, including the Abraham Accords. We continue to encourage close regional cooperation in order to tackle regional challenges and we encourage those countries with whom Israel does not yet have diplomatic relations to recognise the economic, cultural and security benefits of cooperation with Israel.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Food Supply

Baroness Anelay of St Johns: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the humanitarian situation and the level of food insecurity in North and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; and what assistance they are providing for the provision of shelter and food supplies to internally displaced persons in camps in the region.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The humanitarian emergency in eastern DRC is one of the most catastrophic globally. Since March 2022, 2.8 million people have been displaced with the majority living in unacceptable conditions and at risk. The UK leads by example, delivering life-saving humanitarian assistance with our £21 million programme in East DRC as well as urging the international community to give more resources and lobbying the DRC Government to take responsibility to improve access, reduce sexual abuse and to provide protection. In July 2023, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) allocated an additional $13 million to support a DRC system-wide scale up. The UK is the largest overall contributor to CERF since its inception.

Hong Kong: Press Freedom

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their assessment of the current state of media freedom in Hong Kong; and what discussions they have had with the Hong Kong government regarding this.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Under the National Security Law, a once free and vibrant press in Hong Kong has been severely diminished. As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the latest Six-monthly Report to Parliament, published on 19 September, journalists and other media workers are being deliberately targeted under the guise of national security to silence criticism. The Foreign Secretary has made clear our views on the erosion of Hong Kong's autonomy, rights and freedoms at the UN Human Rights Council and with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, most recently on 31 August. We were honoured to lead a side event in Geneva on 27 September on media freedom in Hong Kong. Co-sponsorship by 24 countries is a clear signal of the level of international concern at the erosion of rights and freedoms in Hong Kong.

Sudan: Peacekeeping Operations

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei in Sudan has intervened in recent conflict in Abyei; whether there is any obstacle to increasing the size of this force; and what is the UK’s contribution to the force.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government commends the efforts of the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) to help maintain peace and security in Abyei under challenging circumstances. In March 2023, the UK Government sent a joint political delegation from British Embassy Juba and British Embassy Khartoum to Abyei to engage UNISFA's leadership following the transition to a multinational force and commend its efforts to tackle the security situation. We are aware of the increased presence in southern Abyei of the South Sudan People's Defence Forces and National Police, in violation of the 2011 peace agreement. The presence of forces is exacerbating tensions and hindering peace. We call upon the government of South Sudan to withdraw its forces without delay.

Sudan

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that malnutrition is increasing in parts of South Sudan, and (2) the extent to which this is the result of returnees and others fleeing the war in the North; and what steps they intend to take in this regard.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The influx of refugees and returnees from Sudan is putting additional pressure on already scarce food resources in South Sudan. The UK Government have provided £2.25 million to meet the urgent needs of refugees and returnees in South Sudan who have fled the violence in Sudan - £1.5 million of this has been allocated to the World Food Programme for food provision in border areas. On 20 September, Minister Mitchell met South Sudanese President Salva Kiir to discuss efforts to secure peace in Sudan, implementation of South Sudan's Peace Agreement and the need for greater humanitarian assistance.

South Sudan: Education

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to support civic education programmes delivered through non-governmental organisations and churches in South Sudan in the lead up to the 2024 elections in South Sudan.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK supports free and fair elections as a critical component of South Sudan's 2018 Peace Agreement. We regularly engage with the Government of South Sudan on the importance of political and civic space, as well as media freedom, to ensure that the voices of the South Sudanese people are consistently heard, including those who hold opposing views. Previously, the UK has supported local civil society organisation Community Empowerment for Progress Organisation (CEPO) to monitor ceasefire violations at the local level, as well as the Association for Media and Development in South Sudan (AMDISS) and Female Journalists Network (FJN) to strengthen media freedom, counter misinformation and promote the inclusion of women in the provision of accurate and reliable journalism.

Jimmy Lai

Baroness Kennedy of The Shaws: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to monitor the treatment of Jimmy Lai, currently imprisoned in Hong Kong; and what discussions they have had with the Hong Kong government regarding the fairness and integrity of Mr Lai’s trial.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As the Foreign Secretary made clear in the latest Six-monthly Report to Parliament, published on 19 September, Jimmy Lai and others are being deliberately targeted under the guise of national security to silence criticism. The Foreign Secretary has made clear our views and raised Mr Lai's case with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, most recently on 31 August. The Minister for the Indo-Pacific also raised Mr Lai's case with Christopher Hui, Secretary for Financial Services and the Treasury of Hong Kong, on 18 April. Senior officials have and will continue to raise cases such as Mr Lai's with the Hong Kong authorities. We continue to press for consular access to Mr Lai and diplomats at our Consulate-General in Hong Kong attend Mr Lai's court proceedings.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Lord Shinkwin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of thegovernment of Iran’s recent decision to withdraw accreditation from several inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: As stated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Iran's decision to withdraw accreditation from several experienced IAEA inspectors, including experts with unique knowledge of uranium enrichment technology, affects in a direct and severe way the ability of the IAEA to effectively conduct its inspections in Iran. The removal of accreditations on 16 September means that approximately one third of the core group of the Agency's most experienced inspectors cannot work in Iran. This action highlights Iran's increasing lack of cooperation with the IAEA - this cooperation is vital to provide assurances that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

Treasury

Public Expenditure

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government how much capital budget was allocated to(1) Northern Ireland, (2) Scotland, and (3) Wales, for each of the past five years including the 2023–24 financial year.

Baroness Penn: Please see the table below for a breakdown of devolved administration capital budgets (plans) over the past 5 years. Total Capital DEL budget (£m) 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 2023-24Welsh Government2,2263,1513,1652,8893,147Scottish Government4,4325,4495,5626,4125,950Northern Ireland Executive1,5761,8071,9422,1142,116 A breakdown of devolved administration funding dating back to 2016-17, including capital funding, can also be found in the block grant transparency publication. The publication is regularly updated and the most recent update was published in July 2023.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

British Museum: Cultural Heritage

Lord Boateng: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the implications of theConvention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property of 1970 in relation to (1) their responsibilities for the governance of the British Museum, and (2) the role and responsibilities of its Trustees.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government expects UK museums to have and to follow appropriate policies and procedures to prevent the acquisition of cultural property contrary to the provisions of the UNESCO 1970 Convention.The British Museum requires compliance with the Convention and with all other national and international standards, as stated in its ‘Acquisitions of Objects for the Collection’ policy and its ‘Due diligence procedures for works of art and cultural objects on loan from abroad for temporary exhibitions’.

Department for Business and Trade

Trade Agreements: India

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they are making in regards to a UK–India free trade agreement; and when they anticipate completion.

Lord Offord of Garvel: We are continuing to negotiate with India to secure a comprehensive and ambitious trade deal. The thirteenth round of negotiations began on 18 September. Talks are now focused on complex issues including goods, services, and investment. We are working at pace, but we are not committing ourselves to a deadline. The Secretary of State will only sign when we have a deal that is fair and in the best interests of the British people and the economy.

Department of Health and Social Care

General Practitioners: Bureaucracy and Finance

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government, with reference to the article Practice under pressure: how can the exodus of GPs be reversedpublished on 31 August by Dr Imelda McDermott and Dr Sharon Spooner, what steps they intend to take to make general practice deliverable by reducing the administrative and financial burden on GP partners.

Lord Markham: The ‘Delivery plan for recovering access to primary care’, published by NHS England in May 2023, set out actions on how bureaucracy and workload can be cut by improving the interface between primary and secondary care, cutting unnecessary burdens on general practitioners through the Bureaucracy Busting Concordat, which was published in August 2022, and streamlining the Investment and Impact Fund from 36 to five indicators from 2023/24. Copies of both the delivery plan and the Concordat are attached.Spending on general practice rose by nearly a fifth in real terms between 2017 and the most recent data in 2021. More specifically, spending grew from £11.3 billion in 2016/17 to £13.5 billion in 2021/22, representing a 19% increase in real terms.Attachment (pdf, 117.1KB)Attachment (pdf, 896.8KB)

Ministry of Defence

Radiation Exposure

Lord Watson of Wyre Forest: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they intend to place in the Library of the House copies of the following files, recently revealed to exist by the Atomic Weapons Establishment: (1) Transcript of proceedings 15 November 1984, (2) Royal Commission (RC)1 RC558, pages 988 to 1284, 13 August 1954, (3) AWRE Aldermaston Health Physics Division report on Tritium, 27 October 1958, (4) Arrangements for Examining Urine of Personnel Exposed to Ingesting or Inhaling Radioactive Material, 5 February 1958, (5) Request for arrangements of examining urine of personnel exposed to the risk of ingesting or inhaling radioactive material, 5 January 1958, (6) Reply to Regarding the Arrangements for Urine Testing of Personnel, between 20 January and 20 February 1958, (7) The Arrangements for Urine Testing of Personnel, 20 February 1958, (8) Radiological Safety of Personnel from the Medical Aspect, 24 February 1958, (9) Dose Record Grapple Z – record of 4 urine samples, 17 January 1958, (10) UKAEA – Weapons Group – Fourth Annual Report on Health and Safety, 2 January 1959, and (11) Preliminary Report to the Technical Director: Summary of Biological Observations at Operation Hurricane, 1 January 1952.

Baroness Goldie: There are no plans to place the information in the Library of the House.